All motorcycles have a steering housing, generically referred to as a “tree”, and a pair of forks which support an axle on which a front wheel is mounted. The structure of the “tree” and the angle of the pair of forks can vary. An important consideration in the design of a motorcycle is the “rake angle” exhibited by the pair of front forks and the degree of “trail”. The term “rake angle” refers to the slant or incline at which the pair of forks intersects the ground. The term “trail” refers to the horizontal distance between a point where a vertical axis passing through the front wheel perpendicularly intersects the ground and a point where the steering axis of the motorcycle intersects the ground. Since the steering axis is rearward or behind the vertical axis, this horizontal distance is referred to as “trail”.
In order to change the riding characteristics of a motorcycle, the rake angle and the amount of trail can be changed. As one changes the rake angle, the trail will also change. If the “trail” is too large, the motorcycle may be stable at high speed but will be hard to handle at low speeds and in curves. If, on the other hand, the “trail” is too small, the motorcycle may be easy to steer at low speeds but will have no self steering at high speeds, and may wobble.
In the United States, minimum and maximum “rake angles” and trail dimensions are set by law which motorcycle manufacturers must adhere to. For the safe operation of a motorcycle, the “rake angle” is usually set from between about 20 degrees to about 45 degrees. These “rake angles” would provide a “trail” of between about 2 inches to 14 inches. Most motorcycle manufacturers recommend a “trail” of from between about 3 inches to about 6 inches.
Some motorcycle enthusiasts like to be able to adjust their motorcycle ride. Up until now, this has been virtuously impossible without spending a considerable amount of money to have a custom motorcycle shop chop the front end of their motorcycle to create a different rake angle. This does provide the motorcycle with a different ride but the owner is again stuck with only one rake angle for that particular motorcycle. It would be nice to employ an assembly that would allow a quick and easy adjustment in rake angle and trail settings while providing the motorcycle owner with the ability to return to the original trail setting, if desired.
Now, an assembly has been invented for adjusting rake angle and trail on a motorcycle.